Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 29, 1993 TAG: 9306290163
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
The plan will put an elected, volunteer fire chief in charge of both paid and volunteer city firefighters. Council directed City Manager Bob Asbury to put the reorganization into effect "as soon as possible."
Whitt was hesitant to say for certain where he's headed, but he said he'd been told the fire marshal's job was his. For now - officially, at least - he's still fire chief, although a source close to the Fire Department said the chief already had cleaned out his desk and worked his last day as the department's top man.
"I don't even know if I'm going to be the fire marshal," Whitt said, adding that he wouldn't know anything for sure until he gets official word from Asbury.
"If that's what the city feels like will work, that's their decision," Whitt said.
In any event, it appears Whitt will remain a city employee. Asbury said last week that he would not ask the chief to resign and had no plans to fire him.
The reorganization plan, approved with little discussion or fanfare, calls for the volunteer firefighters to elect a new chief, subject to confirmation by the city manager. That could happen at their next meeting, on Monday.
The chief would head a department of six paid, full-time "fire engineers" and up to 50 volunteers.
The plan establishes separate Fire Department divisions: one would put out fires; the other, headed by the fire marshal, would handle arson investigation and enforcement, fire prevention and hazardous-materials coordination.
"Unusual, but not unacceptable," was how Doug Mitchell, a paid firefighter, described the reshuffling. "I think it'll work."
Mitchell was one of three paid fire engineers who would have been out of a job at year's end under an April council decision - since rescinded - to cut the number of paid firefighters.
Both the volunteer fire chief and the fire marshal will report to the city manager.
by CNB